


From Slave To Paladin

by Serina_Leigh



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura is a bit of a bitch at first, Galra!Keith, Happy ending don't worry, Healing, Lance is a fluff, M/M, Not At All Cannon, Past Rape, Past Torture, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, klance, slave AU, slave!Keith, some gay shit thrown in
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-05-27 10:51:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15023000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serina_Leigh/pseuds/Serina_Leigh
Summary: Just another Galra ship. Just another collection of data mission.But when Lance finds a slave in the cell block, it turns out to be much more than just an everyday mission.





	1. }One{

"Guys, I had to take a detour." Lance panted over his com, ankle aching and side burning from the cut one of the Galra had landed. 

"Just hurry!" He heard Pidge breathing hard, even as she snapped at him the worry was palpable in the quiver of her tone. "Lance, you better get out of there alive or I swear-" 

"Got it." Lance broke in, plastering on his famous smirk. "You're talking to Lance, the greatest person in the whole universe! Don't start doubting me now Short-shank." He heard Pidge's grumble at the name but could sense the relieved laugh underneath it all. 

"Just get out of there Buddy." Hunk said, blasters echoing in the background. The ship Lance was on rocked from the impact. "Allura to your right!" 

Looking out from his cover, a small alcove in the dark purple hall, Lance took a deep breath and took off again. He had studied those plans Pidge had come up with for so long, he knew he was in the start of the cell blocks. 

Though, thankfully, there seemed to be no prisoners on board. 

His feet pounded down on the dark metal floor. He ran past cell after cell, the laser bars deactivated. But as he turned down the hall he knew would lead him to the right doorway, he saw one cell with the lasers on. 

He stopped by the doorway, a branch off that would take him straight to where his lion was hidden on the battleship. Lance bit his lip, he should leave, he could-just turn and keep going down the right path . . . 

He shook his head, squaring his jaw as he made for the cell. 

It reeked. 

Lance tried to just hold his breath, but it didn't make it any better. 

Someone was curled up in the corner, from the faint purple glow from the bars Lance could make out pale skin, dark eyes, and dark, straggly hair. Those eyes were watching him, glaring with enough burning hate that Lance was shocked a hole hadn't been burnt through his armor. 

Lance kneeled down. "Hey, I'm a Paladin of Voltron, have you ever heard of us?" A jerk of the prisoner's chin to the side was his only reply. So no. "Well, we are trying to save people. We are fighting against Zarkon." His throat felt tight, he swallowed the lump and continued. "I can take you with me, get you to safety, I just need you to come with me and trust me." 

The poor prisoner just tensed up, eyeing Lance's every move as he aimed his gun at the control panel and took it out. The bars faded, and Lance stood up, only taking one step into the cell. 

"Can you walk?" Lance's question was answered by another jerk of the chin. "Can I carry you then?" He took another step, and the prisoner shrank back. "I'm going to take you away from here, get you to a healing pod, then you chose from there on." 

The prisoner finally uncoiled at his words, reveling a pale boy. He looked human, if it wasn't for the wolf-like ears and cat-like tail. None of that mattered, though, not when Lance saw the scars littering his body through the grey rags he wore. 

"What's your name?" Lance asked, he seemed to understand English, maybe he spoke it to? 

Those dark eyes glittered. "K-ke-keith." He rasped, the boy obviously didn't talk much. Lance didn't dare think about why it sounded as if he had been screaming for hours. 

"Well, Keith, I'm Lance. The Blue Paladin." He bent down to inspect the boy's wounds. One glance and Lance could see his back had fresh whipping marks, his thighs had deep gouges, and his chest looked like it had been burnt in spots. "I can see why you can't walk." He tried to make the air lighter, smiling half-heartedly and holding in a wince. 

The boy didn't speak any more, only clinging to Lance when he wrapped an arm under his knees and around his back. The Blue Paladin ran as fast as he dared with the wounded boy in his arms. He tried to keep the bouncing to a minimum, but they had to hurry. 

Whenever Galra were near the boy would tighten his fist resting on Lance's chest as a warning. That gave him enough time to duck behind something and hide them. 

Getting to Blue was easier than Lance would have thought, but he didn't dare say so-fearing it would jinx them all. So when he finally got to Blue and slipped into the cockpit, only to hold the wounded boy in his lap, he turned his coms back on and pulled off of the Galra ship. 

"We got what we needed, let's get the fuck out of here." He called, the team readily agreed and they were speeding off. The wreckage of the Galra fleet left in their wake. "Coran ready a Healing Pod, I got a wounded guy here. He was in one of the Galra cells." 

"Sure thing!" The merry voice of the Altean chirped over his helmet com. 

"What?" Allura asked, "Who did you save?" 

"Said his name was Keith, he's in really bad shape." Lance didn't miss the way Keith tensed at the mention of his name. "Don't worry, he was the only one." 

"Slave." Keith rasped. Lance blinked at him, then his chin jerked up so he was glaring out at space. "Owned by . . . ca-cam-commander." He seemed to fight to form the words, as if he didn't really know how to use them. 

"Says he was a slave of one of the commanders on board that damn ship." Lance's voice was tense as he gritted out the words through his teeth. 

"Shit." Pidge hissed, "Yeah, Coran really ready that pod-goddamn!" The Green Paladin hissed again, Hunk echoed the sentiment. 

Lance hurried the boy to the Healing Pods, he was the first to land and the first one inside the castle. When he got to the Medbay Lance talked to the boy. "Okay, you're just going to take a nap inside this pod here. It will fix you right up, then you'll be out and we can go from there." The boy didn't fight much, only bucking back once but a hand on his shoulder and a meaningful glance from Lance had him in the pod and asleep. 

The rest of the team stumbled into the room, all fixing Lance with burning stares. Coran was twitching as he looked at the boy in the pod.   
"Explain." Allura said, a bit breathless. 

"He's in there. He doesn't seem like he can speak English well but he can understand it. His name is Keith, and he looks at least half human." That's all Lance said, all there was to say, as he watched the pod, crossing his arms and bracing his feet. 

Allura looked into the pod, and her spine locked up. She growled her next question, and that got everyone's attention away from the sleeping boy and to the Blue Paladin and Princess. "Did you happen to notice, that this thing is half-Galra?" 

"Yes I noticed." Lance said evenly, his usual playful smirk nowhere to be seen, only a cold gaze fixing itself onto the Princess. "I also noticed that his was a slave and needed help. And before you start on some lecture, Princess, I know for a fact that not all people of a race are alike. So, please save it for later." He completely dismissed her. 

No teasing. 

No flirting. 

No smile. 

Just blue eyes trained on the boy he had saved. 

"Why you-" Shiro cut Allura off with a hand on her shoulder. 

"We can talk about this later, right now there are files and plans we need to go over. There are other things. The boy is in a Healing Pod, there's not any harm he can do from inside there." The calm words seemed to get through to the Princess, but she glared at Lance before leaving with Shiro in tow. 

Allura had been filling in as the Red Paladin, the lion let her pilot but nothing else. Red wouldn't let her mind into Allura's nor would she do something she thought was stupid-leaving Allura with a jerky control at best. 

It was a mess. 

But they had no other choice. 

Pidge cleared her throat. "Um Lance, you want to go change? Get your own wounds tended to?" Her voice was soft and kind as he placed a hand on his arm. 

"Yeah Buddy, you got hit pretty bad, carrying someone did not improve that." Hunk joked lightly, walking to stand on Lance's other side. Coran had left the room, silently which was strange for the mustached man. 

"Fine." His answer was short, but the other two Paladins would accept that for now. 

Lance didn't waste any time getting back, not even going through his obsessive routines or anything. He just hopped into the shower, dressed and left. After that he wrapped his side in a bandage and tended to his ankle in the Medbay. 

He wasn't going to leave that room until Keith woke up, no way. 

So he didn't leave for three days. 

Hunk brought him food and Pidge stopped by to keep him company a few times. Coran checked on him about twice a day, but that was all. 

Lance readied clothes for the boy, a simple pair of black jeans and shirt he had managed to get Hunk to find. He was sure the boy would want more than the rags he had been forced to wear. 

When the pod hissed, Lance jumped up from his seat and got ready to catch the boy. 

Keith stumbled, trying to gain his balance. Lance spoke to try and calm him down a bit, seeing the panic overtaking his body. "Shh, don't worry. The first time in a pod is always the worst, don't worry. Come on, let's sit you down over here." Lance moved Keith to sit down in the blue desk-chair he had just been waiting in. "Better?"   
Keith nodded, still swaying a bit. 

"Good. When you're ready, I have a change of clothes for you." Lance motioned to the folded clothes on the counter beside them. "After we get you into a shower of course." He crouched down in front of where Keith sat and smiled softly. "Do you want to do that?" 

Another nod. 

"Well then, Keith, once you feel ready to stand I can take you to your very own room." Lance stood back up and grabbed the clothes. "Ready?"   
Another nod. 

Lance helped Keith up, but when he went to pull back Keith gripped onto his bicep. Not out of losing balance, but just to make sure that he wasn't going anywhere. "I swear I'm not going anywhere, you want to hold my arm-that's fine, I'll be right here." Keith swallowed, his dark purple ears twitching. "Come on." 

Lance led the boy to the bedroom right beside his own, opening the door and taking Keith to the bathroom. "Here we go." He walked in and smiled softly. "Shower or bath?" Keith locked up when he looked at the tub, and Lance had to stifle cursing the Glara for whatever they had put that boy through. 

"Shower it is." Lance turned the water on, showing Keith the different soaps and how to work the different parts of the shower. Keith started panicking when Lance made to leave. "Hey, shh, I'm just going to be right outside this door. Just to give you some privacy." 

"Pla-p-ple-please sta-ay." His voice broke as he gripped Lance's arm tighter. "P-please." 

"Sure thing, I'll just turn around while you get in." Lance faced the wall as Keith took off his rags then got in the shower. Every now and then Keith would stick his head out from behind the curtain to make sure Lance was still there. To calm his nerves Lance started to talk. 

He talked about how they had ended up here, what Voltron was trying to do. 

When Keith shut the water off, Lance turned back around but kept talking. 

"Hunk cooks for us all, and he can do pretty much anything given time. Pidge is a genius, our own professional nerd." He turned back around when Keith tapped his shoulder. The boy couldn't figure out how to work the jean's button. "You taken the tiny metal button, and press it through the hole on the other part of the pants." Lance explained.   
It took a few tries but Keith got it  His tail swished behind him, through the small slit Lance had cut in the back. 

After that Lance ran a brush through Keith's hair, carful of the boy's ears. 

"You probably need to sleep. And food. When is the last time to ate or slept?" Lance was horrified when Keith only shrugged. "Well then, we need to get you something, would you be fine staying in here by yourself, or do you want to come with me? You might see some of my teammates if you leave." 

Keith only gripped Lance's arm, eyes widening with the thought of being left alone. 

"Okay then that's what we'll do." He held onto Keith's hand and led him to the kitchen for some food. 


	2. }Two{

The kitchen was almost empty. Hunk was there, not much of a surprise. 

Lance stopped outside the doorway and turned to Keith, his hands were holding onto Lance's arm. "My friend Hunk is in there. He's the Yellow Paladin, a leg to Voltron like me. Do you mind meeting him?" He watched Keith bite his lip, glance to the ground, then steel himself and nod. "Okay then." Lance flashed a grin then walked into the kitchen. 

"Hey there Hunk, I've got a visitor for you to feed." Lance kept his voice soft, just so he didn't risk scaring Keith. His grin was in place, his blue eyes sparkling as he walked in, Keith attached to his arm and slightly behind his shoulder. 

"Hi there," Hunk smiled, put his big hands on his hips. "Keith right? What would you like to eat?" The big guy's words were gentle and quieter than his normal expressions. Lance sent him a grateful glance. 

"I-I . . . " Keith seemed confused and bit his lips. 

"How about we start with breakfast food, since it is that time of the day, and see what you like?" Lance suggested, smiling just as brightly as before. "I'm sure Master Chef Hunk can find something that you like." He looked down to meet Keith's eyes, dark purple on blue, and smiled again. 

"S-s-ur-sure." He didn't have a stutter, Lance realized, he just didn't know if the word was right. Something Lance promised himself he would change. 

Hunk smiled wide then started making the space equivalent to eggs, bacon, and toast. Lance sat down on one of the stools in front of the counter in the middle of the room, Keith sat down beside him in the other one. He seemed to not know what to do with his hands, flexing his fingers and glancing at Lance's arm. 

Lance grinned, grabbed the boy's hand, and intertwined their fingers. Keith relaxed, even his tail went from ridged behind him to flicking over his shoulder. His ears twitched as he looked around the strange room, blinking. 

He was so much like a cat that Lance couldn't help the little smile on his lips. 

Hunk served the food, purple eggs, yellow toast, and green bacon, smiling as Lance dug in after showing Keith how to use a fork. The Half-Galra was wide-eyed as he ate, even letting out a few purrs. 

"I think he likes it." Lance teased, winking at Hunk. The big guy laughed and gave Keith a tiny bit more. He knew that Keith's stomach would need time to adjust, so they had to go slow. 

Keith finished, blinked, then looked confused about what else to do. 

Lance smiled softly to Hunk before turning to Keith. "What to go back to your room?" The boy nodded, so Lance got up and walked back to the bedroom he had claimed as Keith's. 

"I'm sure you're super tired." Lance said, walking through the opening doors. "The healing pods make you sleep, but they do not make you less tired-if anything they make you more tired." He rolled his eyes but chuckled. "So let's get you into some pajamas, then into bed." 

Lance got out a set of nightclothes, made sure to put a hole in the back of the pants where Keith's tail would be, and handed them to the other boy. "Change into these." He said softly while smiling. 

Keith started to take his shirt off, even before Lance turned around. The Blue Paladin didn't comment on why Keith had done that, preferring to just turn around and let the boy change. 

Once he was done, Keith tapped Lance on the shoulder. The set of clothes were a tiny bit baggy on the boy's skinny frame, but they'd do. Lance smiled again. "Now time for bed." He gestured for Keith to lay down, pulled the blankets over him, and made to walk out. 

Keith let out a squeak of protest, lurching up and grabbing for Lance's arm. 

The Blue paladin melted at the fear in the boy's eyes. "Okay then . . . I guess you can sleep in my room?" Keith had hopped up and followed Lance to his own courters. The taller boy sat down on his bed, taking of his jacket but not putting on night clothes.

He pat the mattress next to him, and Keith curled up under the covers. Lance carded his finger's through Keith's hair, lightly scratching his fluffy ears. Keith was asleep within minutes, leaving Lance to play with his hair and a handheld game Pidge had made him.


End file.
